Where Your Favourite Club Should Be In The English Football Pyramid

If you were to consider the history of your club in the post-World War II years until the end of last season, which league would your favorite team be placed in? If you’re a supporter of Manchester United, Everton or Arsenal, for example, the answer is easy — the Premier League. But for supporters of other teams, the answers may surprise you.

It’s a perfect opportunity to see which clubs are “punching above their weight,” “under their weight” or at the same level based on the post-WW2 pedigree and history of the club as evidenced by their historic league position.

So, drumroll please, here is how the English leagues should look if post-WW2 history is taken into consideration.

Based on the data above, the clubs that are punching below their weight and should be in the Premier League if their playing ability could match their history are Leeds United, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and Birmingham.

The clubs that are in the Premier League that are punching above their weight are Swansea (who historically have been a League One team), Hull City, Crystal Palace and QPR.

Meanwhile, Fulham and Norwich’s relegation from the Premier League last season puts them back into the division of their pedigree.

What interesting observations can you pull from the above data? Share them in the comments section below.

About The Author

@Chriswin4 on Twitter. A freelance football writer for hire. Indulges in all forms of the beautiful game from the Premier League to the Copa Libertadores. Always up for a discussion on football in general or something I have written myself.

One Response

StellaWasAlwaysDownAugust 18, 2014

I’m surprised to see Everton ranked so high, especially with clubs like Aston Villa bringing in more hardware overall.

It’s also easy to see how financial ruination (i.e. Leeds United) and sugar daddys (Chelsea, Man City, etc.) have changed the landscape.